22 Freiburg Location and History
Freiburg is located in the Upper Rhine Valley at the foot of the Black Forest in southwestern Germany, and its residents enjoy the sunniest and warmest climate in the entire country. They are proud that their commitment to environmental protection has led to Freiburg being declared an “Öko-Hauptstadt.” The city is internationally regarded as a center of “green” politics. Auto traffic is banned in the historic inner-city section, which is entirely given over to pedestrians and streetcars. Bicycles are allowed in some parts of the inner city.
During World War II, the city suffered extensive damage from Allied air raids. Through careful effort, much of the town has been rebuilt in a way that restored the scenic medieval character Freiburg has possessed since it was founded in 1120. As in the Middle Ages, Freiburg’s distinctive Bächle (small streams diverted from the Dreisam River) still course alongside all streets in the historic city center.
With roughly 240,000 inhabitants, Freiburg is home to a variety of cultural activities including concerts, exhibitions, and theater. The musical scene ranges from classical to jazz and rock. The city is only 40 miles from the Swiss border and 14 miles from the French border, and it offers convenient access to Basel and Strasbourg. On the outskirts of Freiburg, you enter the Black Forest, one of Germany’s most famous and picturesque regions. The combination of valleys, pastures, forests, and mountains has made the area a prime vacation spot since the very invention of tourism. In the Black Forest, you will find many recreational opportunities, including biking, hiking, and skiing – both downhill and cross-country.
Freiburg became an official “sister city” (Partnerstadt) of Madison, Wisconsin, in 1985, and you are welcome to participate in the monthly meetings of the Freiburg-Madison-Gesellschaft at the Greifenegg-Schlössle (www.freiburg-madison.de).
For more information on the city, you may want to look at the following websites: